Brille de Joie
by temporary relief
Summary: Because all we have is each other and if I betray those closest to me, it makes me just as bad if not worse than the people I put away." Currently on HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY obviously. Geez, stop the Q-Tip when there's resistance!**

**Notes: Redemption is a funny thing. I doubt my OC deserves it, but I wanted to have a story line that goes through it. The title literally means 'Sparkle with Joy' as a command. It's French! And it has to do with the eyes which I think is perfect. I wasn't going to post this for a while, but I thought since it's the holidays. Like always, enjoy.**

**Déjà Vu**

She smudged the dirt off of her badge. Her badge. Something she held before as a sense of pride. Now she had lost _everything_. Her job. Her marriage. Her freedom. Soon she was going to give up her rights. She didn't do the crime. She looked over at him. Then at her side. A holster that she would never need again. The clip was remarkably harder to pry open than she remembered. Her hands were sweaty. Tears streamed down her face. Her wedding band gone now. The line fading.

"Mac, I didn't do this."

"It doesn't matter." Even he refused to make eye contact with her. "Your gun and your badge."

"Mac, please," she was practically begging.

"Your gun and your badge." Anger flared in her.

"Don't treat me like some dirty cop because you and I both know that I'm not some druggie who killed someone. I didn't do this. Mac, you know I would never."

"No, the Kelly Higgins I know would never cheat on her husband. Your badge and your gun."

"I didn't cheat on him." _I didn't! _"Mac."

"Mac, what? Don't even act like you had nothing to do with this. Your badge and your gun." What was that in his eyes? Hate. No. Whatever it was, she shrunk in fear. Finally, she recognized it. Disgust. A look he saved for those who commit some of the most heinous crimes. Surely, she didn't deserve that. Shakily, the gun in its holster was placed on the desk along with her badge. "Get out of my lab." She looked away. She knew she deserved it, but still she wanted it to go back where she'd mess up and he'd carefully and kindly explain why she was wrong. But he'd forgiven her more than she deserved.

"I'm sorry."

…………………………………………………..

The unexamined life was not worth living. She had lived both, and she didn't care about the normal life. She missed the life that was under the public eye at all times. But her mistake hadn't made the papers. Not yet. Once she was led away there were no guarantees. Mac had promised that this case was as under wraps as they come. It was the most he would do for her. Mainly for reasons of the lab. She shoved her hands further into her pockets. Why couldn't she even remember what happened?

"Hey, lady, can you spot me some change?" someone started walking next to her.

"Sorry, no spare change," she grunted as she was pushed up against the nearby building.

"Come on, you have to have money," his eyes were gaunt and lost. "My sister's sick and needs treatment." She saw through the lie. But she pitied him anyway.

"I'm sorry, but I don't have any money. Get lost." She saw all the cases she had solved where someone was killed for their money just so someone could get high or whatever their misplaced sense of justice led them to obtain. Obsession lingered in her attacker's eyes.

"Money, now," he pulled a knife out. He had to have the money. No one understood what he was going through.

"Okay, okay," she dug in her pocket and held up her wallet. "Just take the money."

"What else do you have?" He looked at her neck where her wedding ring hung.

"Anything but my ring," she pleaded. He yanked it off of her. She started to fight back. He panicked, and the knife dug into her.

"Why so serious?" _Great the last lines I'll ever hear are from a movie. I feel like Tony._ The city street faded to black and then to white. Then just nothing.

……………………………………………

"Come on, Kells, get up," Mac knelt by her.

"How many times has this happened?" Lawson asked.

"A few."

"I blame you, Mac," she leaned back on her elbows. "Wait, what are you doing here?"

"Him? Your boss? At a crime scene? Oh, the possibilities are endless, Higgins."

"Mac, like why are you here?"

"Like it's a crime scene, Kelly," Lawson couldn't help but mock her on this one.

"Are you okay?" Mac asked, concerned on her apparent memory loss. She ignored his questions.

"I don't know whether to hug or slap you."

"Preferably neither, Kelly," he waited for her to get up. "I'm confused."

"How can you be confused? You fired me what? Like three hours ago?"

"Oh, this is going to be good," the homicide detective mumbled under his breath.

"What do you mean? I didn't fire you."

"Wait, what do _you_ mean?" Her glower lowered to a quirk of her eyebrow.

"Outside," they seemed to say at once. Now, not to cause confusion, Kelly was still extremely angry at Mac who she was _absolutely_ sure fired her not more than three hours ago. Mac was a bit confused. She had _after all_ been unconscious for about ten minutes, but she wasn't one to completely confuse what was around her with _nonsense_.

"Oh, come on," Lawson mumbled as if it was some unjust action happening.

………………………………………………….

"You first."

"How could you not remember?!" Kelly demanded. "You, Mac Taylor. You insensitive jerk." He looked quite amused at this point.

"Insensitive jerk?" he chuckled. "Wow, for someone as smart as you, I would think you could come up with something better than insensitive jerk."

"You know what I mean."

"No, I don't. You can't just go and accuse me of something when I have no idea what I've done," he frowned.

"You fired me! How do you not know that!"

"No, you still work for me. Though not for long at this rate." He watched her look down at the ground then back at him. "You don't look fired to me. You still have your badge on your waistband like _always_. You still have your gun in your holster like _always_. You're still wearing those tennis shoes like _always_. Go home. You hit your head. Rest. Come back when you feel better."

"I feel fine."

"Go home, Higgins."

…………………………………………………..

He closed the door gently as he read the note on one of those doodle pads for the toddlers. When she had moved in with him, it was the one thing she had made sure remained. _Got sent home. Made some food. Shh… I'm having some TV therapy. _He smiled.

"Kells," he called out.

"What's the point of the note?" she mumbled, getting up. "What's up, Doc?"

"How long have you been wanting to say that?" Hawkes laughed. "So how's therapy?"

"It's good. Found BBC America. Some show on called _Doctor Who_."

"What's it about?"

"Time lord. He's called the Doctor. Basically he travels through time and solves problems," she explained. _How perfect. I wonder what happened to me._

"Sounds strange."

"You mean illogical. I hate logic sometimes."

"How so?"

"Like it would be logical for me to wait as long as possible to marry you because that's who I am, but I'm thinking that's not a great plan. Why not go down to the court and not make a huge deal of it?"

"How hard did you get hit?"

"Funny, but why not? I mean we want to spend forever together so why not start forever a little sooner." She was being honest. Almost like she had forgotten what had happened in their future.

"Okay," he told her slowly, not sure if she was serious or not. "So you made food?"

"Okay, a couple sandwiches," she admitted. "No feast, but sandwiches are still food." She handed him a sandwich and took her spot back on the couch. He joined her.

"So you got all this from _Doctor Who_?"

"No, the show made me feel better. I've just been thinking for a while."

………………………………………………….

"Whoa, look who's back from the dead," Danny laughed.

"Funny, Messer, just hilarious."

"So why'd you get sent home? Mac said it was because you weren't thinkin' straight."

"Well, he didn't believe me when I said that I was desperately in love with him," Kelly rolled her eyes. "Because that would make total sense."

"You're too cynical."

"It's an outer shell."

"I think you should just admit that you are a big softy, that this whole cynical thing is just an act so that you can seem wounded and mysterious and sexy."

"Wait just one minute! What was that last one?" she had a huge grin on her face.

"Hmm?"

"Did you just say sexy?"

"What? No."

"You think I'm sexy."

"No."

"It's okay if you do. Don't know what Lindsay will think of that."

"Funny."

"And now we're back to the beginning so let's start over. Good morning, Danny."

"Mornin'. So why'd you get sent home from the scene?"

"Haven't we been over this?"

"So you weren't thinking clearly?"

"I probably suffered a concussion."

"Shouldn't you still be at home?"

"Shouldn't you be working?"

"Touché."

…………………………………………………………

"Shouldn't you be at home, Kells?" Flack wondered.

"Shouldn't you be in, I don't know, the bureau? Doing like homicide detective stuff?"

"Mac's in his office."

"How'd you know-"

"That you'd be looking for him? Come on, what else would you be doing? Oh, and Sullivan's tonight."

"Can't. Oh, I want you to be a witness next week."

"For what?"

"When I kill someone," she rolled her eyes. "Hawkes and I are going to the court instead of something fancy."

"And you want me to be a witness?"

"Well, yeah."

"Kells, I'm touched."

"Well, see ya. I need to talk to Mac."

"Sure, 'talk'."

"That just gets funnier and funnier every time you say it."

……………………………………………………….

"Shouldn't you be home?"

"This is like the least fun joke ever."

"You okay?"

"Yeah, and I'd like to get working on this case."

"Fine."

"Mac, I know that I am. You don't have to say that every time I come in," she paused for a moment, then continued after he gave her a look. "I'll go see what Adam's doing."

"Don't you think he deserves a day off?"

"I get what you're saying."

"Good, then I won't have to repeat myself."

"Aye, aye, Captain," she winked as she saluted. Maybe this redo thing was not as bad as she once thought. _Maybe it will be like it never happened._

**A/N: Please review. I completely changed my story arc so I might need some requests to get the muse going again ;) Have a great day! Merry Christmas!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I do not own CSI:NY. I do own Kelly Higgins. **

**Notes: So I might have been on something with this idea, but also I think it's what my character would do. Oh and I figured out why my OC is kinda different than every other OC. She's not afraid to flirt with Mac. I don't know why more people don't write that. Mac's hot XD**

**For CSIMiami17 because she read/is reading Twilight and a promise is a promise. **

**This Changes **_**Everything**_

"Call it a lucky guess, Mac," she answered, rolling her eyes. He should just drop it. This was something she was not ever going to tell. "I want off the case."

"No?"

"Mac, I come at your every back and call which I might add are mostly around three in the morning. Why must people kill each other at _that _time? Why not at breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even elevenses whatever that is? Anyway, I want off this case."

"You're here. You're working this case."

"Can I cry to get out of the case?"

"Really, Kells?"

"Flattery?" She winked. " Bribery?," she took this time to sift through her pockets. "Dang, I forgot my wallet. Blackmail? Though I suppose I would have to have some dirt on you for that to work. Extortion? Murder? Wait, that's from a movie. Okay, I'm out."

He didn't say anything, just gave her a glare.

"I'll take that as a no. How 'bout because I'll make this really awkward?" _Or how 'bout I tell you that if I work this case, I kill you? That work for you, Mac? _

"No, you won't. You're going to work this case, and you aren't going to say anymore on this."

Now, Kelly was conflicted. She had to get off this case. And there were two options. Both probably resulted in a suspension. Also, she was trying to avoid violence, not create it. She went with her second option. Plus she had always wondered about the what if of that situation. And it would probably work to get off the case. He went to enter the crime scene. She cut him off, putting her hand on him as almost a shield. With her free hand, she ran her hand through her hair out of nervousness.

"Kelly, when I ask you to a crime scene, I expect you to-"

She rolled her eyes, and stood on her tip toes. _Why do you have to be so much frickin' taller than me?_ _This is going to be so iffy. _She really did not know why she chose this way to get out of the crime scene, but she was committed to getting off _this_ case. So she did what she did best or rather second best. She made things really awkward. _I told you so!_ This was so much easier when it was a bet. But enough stalling as he began talking. She just flat out kissed him. Awkwardly.

"Well, I'm here to help so can I get you two anything? Water? Food? Air?" Lawson joked. Kelly backed off.

"Sorry, Boss, sorry, I'll just be going on my way." She started walking off. "See, I'm going to head slap myself." Her hand collided with her head, and then she felt someone else head slap her. She glared at Lawson. He grinned.

"Thought I'd join in on the fun."

………………………………………………..

She walked outside and quite literally wiped her mouth. _That was like kissing my brother!_ _Man, I shouldn't have done that._ But now she really could say she wasn't attracted to Mac like _that_. She grabbed a cab and headed toward the lab.

……………………………………………..

"So how'd you get off the scene?" Danny asked. The break room was full of people.

"I have my ways."

"Yeah, Danno, it's called 'talking'."

"Hey, that's your boss your insulting," Kelly warned.

"Not my boss," Flack told her. "But, yeah, I mean he's way too good for the likes of you."

"Thank you for that," she rolled her eyes. "So how're y'all?"

"Good? I guess," Hawkes answered slowly.

"Come on, Kelly, we want to know what you did," Danny whined. She rolled her eyes, but everyone did seem to want to know.

"Okay, I'm not going to lie," she started. _Wow, I sound like Niki._ "So the truth is I kissed him." Hawkes, Flack, and Danny started laughing.

"That's a good one."

"What? It's true!"

"Kelly, you are so funny," Hawkes kissed her on the cheek and got back to work. She watched him leave, shaking her head. _They will believe we had an affair, but when I actually do kiss him, I'm the crazy one?_

"Yeah, yeah."

…………………………………………….

"Hey you."

"Stella, hey."

"You don't sound very optimistic."

"Kelly bailed on this case so I guess I'm a little tired."

"Maybe she had a reason because she wouldn't bail on a case that _you_ are working," Stella couldn't hide a smile.

"Who told you?"

"Flack, no, Danny."

"Really? Well, if you don't mind, I could use your help."

"Okay, what do we have?"

"Beginning of a long case. But maybe the missing bullet from the scene," he held up the shattered slug triumphantly. She snatched an evidence bag, taking the bullet from his hand and putting it in the plastic bag. He watched her go, grinning.

"Does the title of boss mean nothing anymore?"

…………………………………………..

"So cause of death?"

"Are you working this case?"

"Sure, we'll go with that," Kelly answered, grinning. "Doing something nice for the boss man, ya know?"

"Yes, I do know. In fact when I was a young ME I w-"

"COD, please," she said quickly.

"Exsanguination," he answered, handing her the file on his autopsy.

"Any unusual trace or DNA?"

"There was something under his nails. I sent it up to trace," he told her.

"Thank you!" she chimed, honestly grateful.

"Oh, I almost forgot. Give this _directly_ to Mac," he handed her a bullet fragment. "I found it in his spleen."

"Cool. And this has to go _directly_ to Mac? Who told you?"

"The dead don't speak."

"But Danny does. No worries. The fragment is going to Mac." _So they don't believe me, but they tell? I'm going to kill Danny and Flack._ "Thanks again, Sid."

…………………………………………...

"You have an amazing way of making things awkward," a familiar voice hissed. She elbowed that homicide detective.

"Lawson, what are you doing here? Aren't there other people to annoy?" Kelly mumbled in return.

"Didn't you bail on this case?"

"Bailed on the scene. Nothing's wrong with this case."

"Well, you still make things awkward. So you going to dinner with me?" he smiled as he watched her face fall in disgust. "I figured since you're on a roll today, kissing your boss and all that why not?" She head slapped him.

"You're terrible. You know that, right?"

"Part of my charm."

"Charm? You wouldn't have any even if you ate a bowl of _Lucky Charm_."

"That hurts."

"Don't you have someone else to play creepy with?" She rolled her eyes.

"Nope."

…………………………………………...

"Knock, knock, Mac," she grinned, cheekily. He did not look happy to see her.

"Come in," he mouthed. He was on the phone after all. "I need to talk to you."

"What?" _We should have more conversations like this. This is fun._ She then mouthed, "I can't hear you." He gave her a look to kill. Having nothing to do, she tried to think of what she could possibly remember.

"_Use your imagination with what happened next," Kelly told the others._

"_I just can't believe it. I mean, Mac? Kelly, why him?" Flack asked._

"_I guess I won't take that personally," Mac mumbled._

"_I don't know," she shrugged._

The entire reason Mac had come up with that idea of them to get back at the others was because of what happened at the scene from this morning. So since Kelly had never shot Mac, they never came up with the 'affair' and also a couple months of her life would be back. _So since I kissed him, I definitely changed that from happening. But if that doesn't happen, then what won't happen? _She decided to leave her worries behind. She still was wondering why in the first place they went with _those_ stories.

"_Well, we could-"_

"_No," he cut her off._

"_You didn't even hear me out."_

"_But I know you so no."_

"_Ugh, you're hopeless. How 'bout we have to make this seem real as if we actually did something," she winked. "So we need to come up with stories, Mac."_

"_This isn't awkward at all, Kells."_

"_See there's your sarcasm. Just like that except without sounding sarcastic."_

"_You want me to lie to Stella and everyone else?"_

"_You've done it before. And it's not lying it's stretching the truth."_

"_Truth? Kelly, there is no truth in this."_

"_Okay, but Mac what if something had happened between us," she grinned 'innocently'. _

"_Then you probably wouldn't have a job right now."_

"_Nah, I'd just have like major name calling. Like several words that rhyme with butt and door. But I can handle that. So we have to come up with something. Timeline?"_

"_Okay," Mac was not completely sold on this even though it was his idea. She needed a laugh after what happened. Also, they wanted revenge. "Okay, so maybe-"_

_She cut him off this time, "Heck no!"_

"_You don't know what I was going to say, Kells, and if it's any consolation I'm your boss and it was _my_ idea."_

"_Sorry, Boss, but no. Maybe we shouldn't come up with this. You remember Caitie, right?"_

"_Caitie from Miami?"_

"_Yup."_

"_What about her?"_

"_She can come up with something. Anything really. So do you want me to call her?" _

"_Sure, why not," he rolled his eyes. She took out her phone._

"_Her number is saved because she kept calling me at four in the morning," she met his eyes. "And anyway, it's ringing." She grinned. "Hey, Caitie, it's Kelly. Do you remember that little discussion we had on dressing downs? Well, I need you to do something for me and my boss."_

Kelly just started bursting out laughing. Mac gave her an annoyed look because he was finishing up his phone call. She couldn't help it. It was a funny time, and she was surprised that out of everything she could have remembered, she remember this.

He got off the phone, "You first." _Why me first all the time? What about chivalry there? Wait, never mind. _

"So I think it's safe to say I once had a crush on you?"

"How does that have…" he trailed off. "Never mind."

"You're not going to ask why?"

"I'm done asking why. I think it's a good enough explanation that it's just you, Kelly." She rolled her eyes at this.

"Well, you know what they say."

"What do they say?"

"Third time's the charm."

"That was the second time."

"I know."

"I don't want to know." He shook his head accordingly.

"I'll tell you."

"Are you listening?"

"No, but I'll tell you why I kissed you in the first place." He sighed.

She grinned and continued, "You know some people have the Messiah complex; they need to save the world. You have the Rubik's complex; you need to solve the puzzle."

"That has nothing to do with why you did what you did."

"Have you ever experienced déjà vu?"

**A/N: How'd you like that? Please review. If you liked it, hated it, or just don't care, please review. And I still need ideas! Have a great day! XD**


	3. Chapter 3

**Disclaimer: Don't own them.**

**Notes: Christmas in Vegas. Kelly's on her own. Sort of. Like always, enjoy.**

**Christmas in Vegas**

"Mac, you hear?"

"What?"

"Well, Steven Shallows went to Vegas to show where he buried more women. He escaped. Vegas CSI wants someone there."

"All right, I'll go."

"No, Mac, you should enjoy Christmas with Stella. Someone else can go."

"Do you want to go?"

"No."

"Well, we had the case so one of us has to go."

"Draw straws?" Kelly smiled.

"Fine."

"Mac, ready?" Kelly mixed up the straws. Mac drew a straw and smiled. Kelly got the shorter straw.

"You're not going on this case. It's extremely high profile. I don't want you on it."

"What? Mac, come on! I never get to work these cases. And I thought you trusted me." She pleaded.

"I don't know."

………………………………………………………

"Hey, Mac, I heard that Steven Shallows escaped." Stella told him.

"Yeah, he did."

"So are you or Kelly going to Vegas?"

"I am."

"I heard she drew the short straw."

"She did."

"So why isn't she going?"

"I don't think she should go on such a high profile case alone."

"You took a big enough risk hiring her, and you let her tell you her innermost secrets, but you don't trust her to go on this case."

"Didn't know you liked her that much."

"I don't, but I don't want you to go on Christmas."

"Is that fair to her?"

"She understands. It's part of the job."

"Yes, but it's her first year married to him."

"There're always more times." Stella pleaded. "Come on, you don't have to do this for her."

"I'll think on it." He kissed her cheek.

………………………………………….

"Detective Taylor?" A bearded man assumed. She looked behind her, confused.

"No, I'm Detective Higgins. You must be Doctor Grissom," she stifled a laugh at the faux pas.

"That I am. You're here sooner than expected. When I talked to Detective Taylor, I was told that someone would be here tomorrow. And I thought you were the lead CSI."

"I am the lead CSI on this case. I want to make something clear. I am just as able to find this guy. I was on this case with Mac, and I know this guy's style. Two, New York is running this investigation, and all reports come to me first. I don't want to work over Christmas any more than you do so let's get started."

"Don't you want to get adjusted?"

"I see you're here at the lab at one. I'm sure there are people here, working. Now, where's layout?"

"Over here."

"And I'm going to want to go to autopsy and see the bodies, sir."

"Okay."

"And one more thing. _When_ we catch this guy, _I_ interrogate him."

"This guy? Seriously, Kelly, that's the best you can come up with? Of course, I forgot you don't curse."

"And don't sleep around. Two things that are prominent qualities in you, Niki Foxx." She turned around, angry.

"Hey, what's up with you?" She was defensive at the apparent poison-dipped words. "Grissom, I thought you said Detective Taylor was coming. Well, that is a wedding ring on her hand. So is it Kelly Taylor?"

"Eww no! Just no! I think I just threw up a little."

"See, Grissom, she's not all tough like that."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Now, if we could get started now, we have a better chance of finding him. By now he could have gotten a new face."

"Remarkably better than yours," Niki mumbled.

"Honestly, Foxx, this is a big case. Let's get started on this."

……………………………………………..

"How'd you get this guy the first time?" Grissom asked.

"My boss, Detective Taylor, found the link in the victims. The killer moved uptown with the women."

"What was the link in that?"

"He moved from school to school in a period of about eight years. He started before my time in New York. But his MO stayed the same, which is why I need to see the bodies."

"Hot date in an hour?"

"I'm married, thank you very much. But he left a certain signature on the women."

"Which was?" Niki was clearly not totally up to speed on the case.

"The Anarchy A," Kelly answered somberly. "This guy was subtly trying to take down who had the power. He targets school teachers. Young. Pretty. They were all single. We asked him why, and he never answered. Also he's bipolar, and we think schizophrenic also. He definitely has multiple personalities, and he was off his meds when we interrogated him. If he has his meds, he will blend. This is a high profile case. I need to see the bodies."

_And I will keep calling you to see  
__If you're sleeping are you dreaming  
__If you're dreaming are you dreaming of me_

"Hawkes, what's up?" Kelly answered her phone.

"Mac wants you in conference call pronto," he told her.

"Tell him he's gonna have to wait. I'm going down to autopsy."

"Okay, love ya."

"Ditto," she hung up. She then turned to Grissom and Niki, "I need to see those bodies pronto then my boss wants a conference call, but I think he means a video chat."

"Okay, Niki take her to autopsy," Grissom ordered.

"It's this way."

……………………………………….

"That's it, Doc," Kelly sighed. She did hope that it wasn't him. "Well, I guess I'll go tell my boss that I'll be spending Christmas here. Fun stuff."

"Had any Christmas plans, Detective?" Doctor Robbins asked.

"I was going to spend it with my husband. Our first one together, but I drew the short straw so here I am spending Christmas in Vegas. Do you have plans, Doctor?"

"Just spending time with my family."

"Well, thank you for the results."

"You're welcome."

"Did you do anything before you were an ME? Surgeon? ER?"

"No, why do you ask?"

"I was just wondering. My husband used to be the ME. Before I came."

"Oh, here we go," Niki mumbled.

"Can I not just talk to someone?"

"No, not when your boss wants you up in A/V talking to him."

"Well, thanks again, Doc."

………………………………………….

"Mac, hold the applause. I'm here."

"You took long enough."

"I went down to autopsy. Same MO, Mac. It's him."

"Kelly, someone's going to come take the case over. I don't want you on this."

"Unbelievable! I cannot believe this!"

"I figured that with the 'unbelievable'. Kelly, you don't have enough experience with high profile cases."

"Oh, this is too good, Taylor. _I_ don't have enough experience? Well, maybe it's because I've worked every single frickin' case with _you_. So maybe that's why? Oh, but it's with you so I must've learned something! No, I couldn't have done that because I am a hard headed, obstinate, egotistical investigator who is being _babied_ by her boss!" She went too far, and she knew it.

"Kelly Catherine Higgins, you have no right to talk to me like that."

"I know, Mac, but I can handle this. Please, don't make me beg. I'm already here, and you have a case in New York. Santa slaying? And anyway Hawkes is running with that case, and he's the _only_ one you'd send out here because it would be cruel to separate another couple. I get it, Mac. Please, give me a chance. If I was on the promotion board, this would be the case to get it, but we both know you'll never promote me, but you do trust me. Please, Mac, please. I really can do this, and it's not like you aren't here whatsoever. I'll keep you updated on the case. Promise. Cross my heart hope to die?"

"Okay, and one mistake, and I do mean one, and you will be off this case faster than you can say Vegas. Do I make myself clear?"

She grinned, "Yes, sir. I won't let you down."

"I know you won't, Kelly." He cut the feed.

"So what'd you tell him?" Niki walked in.

"That I'll keep him updated every step of the way. One mistake and I'm out of here." Kelly gulped for dramatic effect.

"So don't do anything wrong."

"You don't really get it. I'm still working this case _with _him."

"Okay." Niki rolled her eyes.

"No, it's not okay. It's really bad. I'm going to get pulled because things _always_ go wrong when we work together."

"Really? It can't be that bad."

"Ha! We were held hostage at a scene." She showed her wrists as evident.

"You could just be suicidal. I mean it is hard to deal with the fact that I am Foxxier than you."

"Cute, Niki. I'm not suicidal. I was in a bomb blast, and I have a scar on my lower rib. Still hurts in the cold when I run. I get knocked out a bunch. Oh, and I have a scar on my forehead from a case." She brushed back her hair so the scar could be seen. "He got kidnapped after I talked to him one day. Flack and Angell, our homicide detectives were kidnapped when we handled the undercover op. And Flack got shot. Well, that might have had something to do with the flirtatious banter we kept up. Not to mention every time we work together, we fight." She thought some more. "Oh, I had to take a break from Hawkes because he assumed Mac and I were having an affair. I mean Mac's really good looking, but not really my type."

"In other words, too good for you."

"Probably. So I'm just a little worried about this. I really want to get this right."

"'Cause of your boss? You have a strange relationship with him. Flirting one minute then fighting the next."

"We're just really tight. That's all. I swear," she shot a warning glance at Niki who shut up.

………………………………………………………….

"I want to know why you two are so tight," Niki laid the victim's clothes on the table.

"Me and Mac? He listens really well and is just awesome. Like I can't explain it, but he gave me a chance when no one else did."

"So how close are you two?"

"Close enough to kiss him on the cheek and it not be a big deal. And close enough to be a witness at my wedding. Well, he would have been, but I asked Flack to be it."

"You've kissed him?"

"Yes, twice. Once was a bet. The other was so I could get off a case. But I've kissed him on the cheek, and it's not been a big deal. I hope. I mean he is married."

"Bug you at all?"

"Are you insinuating that I'm somehow in love with my boss?" _Now, that's a new one._ Kelly rolled her eyes. _Never heard that one before._

"Yes," Niki blurted out.

"That's disturbing. He's like my brother."

"Yeah, okay."

"You're worse than Caitie."

"What'd she do?"

"More of what she didn't know. She didn't know what a dressing down was."

"That's because she never got in as much trouble as we did. She take that way out of context?"

"Yeah, but it didn't help that in the morning I answered my boss' phone. Oh that's another thing to add to the list of things that go wrong. So we're walking and talking at four in the morning, and he spills his coffee on himself. Then Caitie calls him with a lead so he asks me to answer it so being the good person that I am," Kelly ignored Niki's laughs and continued, "I answered it. And so then they thought something of course. Trust me that would never happen. I mean first he totally is in love with his wife. That and we see each other as family. And I love my husband. Gosh, I miss him."

"Who, Taylor or Hawkes."

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Hawkes of course."

"Well, you know my philosophy on dating."

"I don't seem to remember it."

"Well, it's important to have someone who can make you laugh, someone who you can trust, and someone who you know will turn you on. And it's extremely important that these three people don't know each other." Kelly snorted with laughter. Niki always knew this stuff at the drop of a hat.

"I'm a one guy type person." Her laughter died. "I miss everyone."

"Even your boss?"

"That's pushing it. But yeah, I miss messing with him."

"Hey, check out this stain, Kelly. Could be evidence."

"Looks like a coffee stain." She took out scissors and cut a swatch out of the fabric for trace. "But we'll find out. Who does trace at your lab?"

"Hodges." Niki gagged. "He's like the real _40 Year Old Virgin_."

Kelly snorted with laughter. "He can't be that bad."

"Worse, he's a total suck up."

"I pity you. Our trace expert, Adam, is awesome. Except when he gets all nervous. Mac seems to do that to him. Must be 'cause he was a Marine."

"Here, I'll take this to trace. You go to your hotel and sleep because you've been up for over twenty-four hours."

"I'm fine. I'll just get another coffee."

"Come on, nothing's going to happen tonight anyway."

"Fine, you win."

"I always do."

…………………………………………….

"Hey, Shel," she greeted him.

"Do you know what time it is?" She looked at her watch and smiled.

"Really late. I got sent home."

"That's becoming a bit of a habit. Any news on the case?"

"Trace that we think is a coffee stain," she answered.

"Shouldn't you tell Mac?"

"Nah, it's late, and I'm tired. Plus, we're not sure."

"Careful. Don't get chewed out over something you don't think is major."

"Don't worry. I know what I'm doing." _I hope._

"All right. So the Santa slaying is going pretty well."

"That's great. Any suspects? And don't say Rudolph," she laughed.

"No, but we think it was an elf."

"How fitting. What was COD?"

"Blunt force trauma. It's getting late, Kells. I love you."

"Ditto." She hung up and sighed. This was going to be a long night. She collapsed on the hotel bed. It seemed like only moments later she heard her phone blasting.

_Light up, light up  
__As if you have a choice  
__Even if you cannot hear my voice_

"Mac, is that you?" She asked groggily.

"I'd like to know why you haven't told me that you found another body."

"I don't know. There's another body?"

"No, I called just to talk. Kelly, I told you one mistake, and I'd pull you off the case." She continued to get ready and rush to the lab which thankfully was the next block over.

"Mac, I didn't know there was another body. I told them that all results come to me first. Someone must've sidestepped me. I swear I would've told you. I mean, I tell you everything so I think I would've told you about a body."

"Yes, but you also want to work this case no matter what."

"Are you profiling me, Mac? What would be the point of keeping something from you? Nothing? I'd just get into more trouble than I normally get myself in."

"You better be telling the truth."

"Mac, I'll get down to the truth. No worries. I swear I had no idea that there was another body. You gotta believe me. I'm your CSI, Mac." _Your 'little CSI'. Of course you won't remember that._ Kelly sighed.

"I want to, but you promised, Kelly, and I have to hold you to your word."

"Mac, don't take my off the case. I got this. Trust me."

"You have one hour to prove that someone did sidestep you."

"Yes, sir."

"Then I want to talk to you."

"Yes, sir."

……………………………………..

"All right, who did it?"

"Did what?"

"Someone didn't call me to tell me there was another body! That this monster killed again!"

"You have no right accusing my CSIs like that."

"Look, this case is high profile. I've got my boss breathing down my neck from New York, and I get woken up this morning to the fact that _no one_ told me that there was another body. That some poor woman was killed again. So I think I have every right to accuse one of you for doing this." She was ticked off.

"Nah, she's only acting this way so she can impress her 'sexy' boss." Niki goaded her college roommate.

"No, I'm trying to keep my job." She glared at Niki.

"Well, it wasn't any of my CSIs."

"Well, it was someone at your lab. Don't think I'm afraid of you. I can take on my boss." _Not really, but it's a nice dream to take on Mac and win._

"Good, for you, but this is my lab."

"Well, this is my case, Doctor." She looked at her watch. "Well, thank you. Now, I have to go talk to my boss. My hour's up." _I liked my job too. I'm going to miss everyone. Danny, Flack, Stella, Lindsay, Adam. I guess Angell. Don't know her too well. Especially Hawkes, but it's not like I'm not going to see him again. And maybe even Mac. 'Course if I get fired, I don't think I'd really want to see Mac ever._

…………………………………………….

"Hey, Mac, you going to give her a chance?" Stella asked.

"Why? She made a promise, and she has to be kept to her word."

"No, she's being honest. I mean give her a chance. No one wanted to go, and she got picked so she's spending Christmas alone. She's trying her best."

"Yeah, it's just that she never seems to do anything right."

"That's not completely true. Mac, you're so hard pressed on the evidence that you're going to break her. Give her another chance."

"Yes, the twenty-seventh time's the charm."

"Just one chance. Please. She's trying really hard."

"Okay."

"Thank you."

………………………………………………………

"Mac, I think I succeeded in over-staying my welcome."

"That bad?"

"You don't seem like one about to take me off the case."

"I'm giving you another chance."

"Thank you so much!"

"Don't thank me. Thank Stella."

"Okay, so now what?"

"I want those autopsy reports, Kells."

"Hey, Kelly, who's that?" Niki walked in.

"Mac this is Niki. Nik Nak this is Mac." She rolled her eyes. _Hey, that rhymed!_

"So this is your boss." Her eyes lit up. Kelly turned red at this point, knowing how much Niki could torture her while she was in Vegas. "Turning red, Higgie?"

"So, Boss, I'll get those reports. And thanks for the second chance. I won't let you down."

"I know, Kelly." The feed was cut.

"So it looks like your boss isn't firing you? I guess you guys are tight."

"He likes me more than some of the others."

"Yeah, I guess he does. So I told him about the body."

"You did what?! You could've gotten me fired! Do you ever think of anyone but yourself?" She was furious. "You haven't changed one bit."

"Oh don't go all high and mighty on my. Step off your high horse, Kelly. You are just as bad as me."

"I could get you fired. It only takes six words."

"You wouldn't."

"Yeah, you're right. I wouldn't because I actually care about my friends."

"You're a jerk."

"Wow."

"You two stop it!" A Texan drawl barked.

"Sorry, Nick."

"Sorry, it's just that I've gotten to the bottom of the mystery. I apologize for accusing everyone. I should've known from the beginning that it would be Niki."

"You two work this out right now. We have a serial on the loose."

"Right, I'll be in autopsy. Then I'll apologize for accusing you guys. Ta ta for now."

………………………………………………………..

"Doctor Robbins, I must be lucky to see you this much."

"Slightly opposite for this woman."

"Anarchy A?"

"Yes."

"Shoot. Any trace?"

"Nothing."

"Hmm. Are the victim's clothes up at the lab?"

"Just sent them up with Dave."

"Thank you."

"You're not from New York, are you?"

"No."

"Then where?"

"Dallas, Texas like Nick."

"You two know each other?"

"Nope. Well, my boss wanted these results so thank you, Doctor." She left without another word, autopsy file in hand.

………………………………………………..

"Mac!" Kelly greeted her boss very happily. "Yum, back in black. In fact, this might be your best look."

"Kelly, the case."

"Right. Same MO and everything. We're processing the clothes as we speak."

"Hey, Kelly?"

"Yeah."

"Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mac. How is everyone?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself? The gang's all here." He winked.

"So I'm not part of the gang?"

"'Course you are." Flack told her. "And hey we could switch you with Danny."

"Hey!" Danny was definitely playing the mock angry card.

"Kells, miss you." Hawkes told her, smiling.

"Ditto. Love ya."

"Hey, you two get a room." Flack mocked.

"You're one to talk. Hey, where's Stella? I need to thank her for basically saving my job back there."

"She's in DNA, working on the Santa slaying."

"I thought you said the whole gang was here, Mac?"

"Everyone is at the lab if that's what you mean. People have to work."

"So I was sidestepped, Mac."

"I know. I figured you weren't lying."

"And you decided to make me think I was going to get taken off this case? That's mean."

"Didn't mean to lead you on there. So how's it going down there, Kells?"

"I miss you guys. A bunch. Even you, Mac."

"Thanks?"

"No, like what else is to do here. I can't flirt with that boss. He's not as attractive as you, Mac." She winked. "And this is just not as fulfilling to flirt via web cam. Aww pooh! But seriously, I haven't caught one break here. And I'm pretty sure everyone hates me."

"We don't hate you." Niki told her. "So you gonna introduce me to your friends?"

"You've met Mac. There's Flack, Danny, and then my husband, Hawkes." She pointed to each accordingly.

"Flack. Yumm." She winked at him. He grinned foolishly.

"Danny, head slap him for that. He's dating Angell."

"Her last name actually Angel?" Niki was skeptical.

"She spells it with two l's." Kelly answered, rolling her eyes.

"Kelly, any more leads?" Hawkes asked.

"Just another body." Kelly glared at Niki.

"Kells, call when you have something." Mac was about to cut the feed.

"Don't sign off yet. We found this card on the victim." Nick came in with an evidence bag. He handed it to Kelly.

"No way. I know this hotel."

"Kelly, explain."

"So on the back is the MGM Grand printed out beautifully I might add. On the front where the Ace of Spades is supposed to be, it's the Anarchy A." Silence gripped the room. Could it be where they'd find him? "I'm going to get him. This is a clue. He wants us to find him."

"Kells, look at the number by the A. Thirteen."

"It's the table. These are the cards they use on the poker tables." Nick explained.

"I have a plan." Kelly grinned.

"Kells, no, I'm not going to let you do something stupid." Hawkes was on the defensive.

"I'm not going to do something stupid." She listened to some of the laughs from the NY lab. "Promise, Sheldon. I'll be fine. I need to talk to Brass. Hawkes, I love you." She signaled to Archie to cut the feed.

"What's the plan?" Niki was overjoyed.

"No, you're not in on this. You just look like a cop."

"And you don't?"

"No, I don't. Not with a baseball cap on. I guess it is a good Mac never lets me wear one."

"He's not going to recognize you?"

"My boss didn't let me into that interrogation room."

………………………………………………………….

"I got an idea, Captain." Kelly grinned mischievously.

"Tell."

"Okay, so there's a number on the card we found on the victim. Nick says that it's a table at the MGM Grand so I guess we should go get him there. I know he'll be there. He'll probably have a hostage. It's his style. Trust me. I know."

"Doesn't he know you?"

"No, my boss did the interrogation."

"All right, I'm in on this plan. I'll get some plain clothes." He watched her reaction. "Trust me they're good."

"Yes, sir."

…………………………………………………………

"Hey, sport, what's your name?" Must've been one of the plain clothes. Kelly had been sitting at the table for about half an hour playing Texas Hold 'Em. "My name's Jacob Ryan."

"I'm Taylor Jones." She heard laughter in her ear piece. "What do you do, Mr. Ryan."

"It's Doctor Ryan actually. I'm an ENT."

"Oh, that's cool. I'm a professor in Chicago." More laughter. _I had to choose Chicago._ "Professor of Advanced Trigonometry." _I hate Trig!_

"What about you?" Taylor looked at the guy they were trying to get. Steven Shallows. "What's your name?"

"Misses Jones, you can't bluff your way out of this. But my name's Preston Stewart. This is my wife Gabrielle Consuela." She knew he was lying, but he was pretty darn good at it. He must've been on his meds.

"So what do you two do?"

"I am a disc jockey, and my lovely wife is a registered nurse." He was playing this cool.

"All right, I'm going to go all in." Kelly played with her sunglasses.

"I'm going to call your bluff. It seems that you aren't very good at this card game." The serial matched her bet. Jacob Ryan folded as did the other plain clothes officer and Steven's 'wife'. The river was flipped. Two kings and an ace. Steven flipped his two kings over triumphantly.

"Read it and weep, Detective Jones. You really need to know how to bluff. I guess it's hard to do in Chicago."

Taylor rolled her eyes and stood up. The officer had already been able to successfully lead 'Gabrielle' away while Steven was distracted. "You know the key to running a convincing bluff? Sometimes you have to be holding all the cards." She revealed her NYPD badge as she rested her right hand on her pistol. With her left hand, she flipped over the cards. One king and one ace. A full house. The other officer pulled out his weapon while some LVPD cops came in, cuffing Steven.

Brass came up beside her. "I want interrogation. It's my case so I think I should have dibs on it. You can be in the room. I don't want to kill the guy."

"All right."

…………………………………………

Taylor Jones sat on the table next to Steven. Brass had turned the chair backwards and was sitting facing the killer.

"You're a hard man to find." She spat at him.

"You know you have just about all of Las Vegas and New York trying to find you?"

"Never heard of Detective Jones. Knew a Detective Taylor. You don't look like him."

"I could be married to him, ya know? Maybe I lied about my name." _Am I really agreeing with this? I'll never live this down._

"Too old for you."

"True. I'm Detecive Higgins. Catherine Higgins. Nice to meet you, Steven. I'm the New York detective that's been trying to find you. And now you're here so start talking!" She put her hat on backwards and put an intense look on her face.

"I don't know what you want to know."

"I want to know why! Why'd you kill those women!"

He laughed.

……………………………………………

"Well, sorry about accusing y'all of tampering with all this. Grissom, you run a good lab here. It was nice to meet y'all."

"Why not stay another night?"

"Going home. It's the twenty-sixth, and I'd like to see my husband on the twenty-seventh. I already booked the red eye." She took the box with the files on this one.

"Bye, Kells." Niki hugged her. Kelly would've hugged her, but her hands were full with her duffle and the file.

……………………………………………….

"Where you headed?" Danny asked Hawkes. "Are you meeting her by baggage or by pick up/drop off?"

"Neither. I'm meeting her by the less known option of the gate. I guess I'll be back later." He walked away.

……………………………………………….

"Ugh, I hate people!" Kelly mumbled to herself. People kept bumping into her, and she had already almost dropped the box three times.

"Miss, can I have the time?" A familiar voice asked.

"Hawkes?"

"Yes." Kelly dropped the box and hugged him.

"I missed you so much."

"I figured." He picked up the filing box. He balanced it on his left side with his arm and pulled her close on the other. "Come on, let's get your bag."

……………………………………………

"Well, I'd love to go home, but I have to go back to the lab. I have to but the box up, and tell Mac that I actually can do cases on my own."

"He knows."

She put the bag in the trunk and then stole the box from his hands and put it under her feet. She closed her door, and he drove her back to the lab.

"So how was Vegas?"

"Dreadful." She took his hand in hers and squeezed. "Missed you. Terrible going to sleep alone."

"I know what you mean. And here we are. The lab. Trust me it's just as boring as when you left." He kissed her cheek. She opened her door and took the box, swinging the door shut afterwards. "Want me to get the box, Kells?"

"I got it. So was it the elf?"

"Nah, it was Frosty."

"Talk about a cold hearted killer." She could not avoid using that pun.

"Ah, you're just as bad as Flack."

"Sorry, the Vegas cops love their puns."

…………………………………………………..

"Let it be known, Mac Taylor, that I can work huge cases like this." She slammed the case box on his desk.

"You didn't have to slam that box on my desk, you know? And I'm really proud of you, Taylor Jones." He grinned.

"Know where that came from?"

"I think so." Mac told her. Was that a smile on his face?

"So I did the interrogation and didn't kill him. He's getting extradited next month. Oh, and the Las Vegas CSIs can wear hats."

"No, Kelly." He stood up and came around to her side of the desk.

"Merry Christmas." She hugged him. "I really missed you. It's just not the same as here. Plus, you always have to dodge things over there. Like mistletoe. And lab rats. And lab rats under mistletoe. It's just kind of iffy. Oh and apparently they hit mailboxes over there with bats. Nick said it had something to do with a case." He shook his head and shushed her ramblings.

"I missed you too, Kells. I like you better than the others. You're funnier." She grinned almost triumphantly.

"Well, good night, Mac."

"'Night, Kelly." He watched her go then turn around.

"Mac, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."

"Kelly, just go home and enjoy being back here."

"Yes, sir." She grinned as for some strange reason that she was not aware of she kept calling him sir.

**A/N: Do you know where Taylor Jones came from? Please guess and please review. This was supposed to be more Christmas-y, but what you get is what you get. Hope you have a merry Christmas. Have a holly jolly Christmas. It's the best time of the year. Well, anyway merry Christmas again XD**


	4. Chapter 4

**Disclaimer: I don't own them. Wish I did.**

**Notes: Just a fun one at New Year's since that's like next week. Like always, enjoy.**

**Dance the Night Away**

"_So think we're going to get in trouble?" She wrapped her scarf around her neck and face a little tighter and pulled her beanie down over her ears. "Mac's going to kill us if something goes wrong."_

"_Yeah, if something happens to you. You're like his favorite." Danny set the coke bottle upright. She rolled her eyes_

"_Well, I have my gifts. One is being a total suck up without him or anyone else including me realizing what I'm doing." She opened the box of Junior Mints, liberating some from their doom. _

"_So what did you even say to him this morning about that case?" Danny opened the bottle and Kelly passed him the box._

"_Nothing." Kelly grinned. Danny screwed the cap shut quickly and placed the glass aquarium. They then ran about ten feet away sliding to a stop, dropping to the ground, and placing their hands over their heads. "I just told him that he should not under any circumstances wear pinstripes. Never ever. Like I don't think any guy who is not a New York Yankee or a Met should ever wear pinstripes. Or a Cincinnati Red or a Chicaco Cub or White Sox. How many teams wear pinstripes?" _

"_Really? You told him that?" He was drowned out by the sound of a small 'controlled' explosion. "Kells, are you all right?"_

"_You're heavy." She spat on the ground. _

"_Sorry, just making sure you're okay." He winced at the elbow he received in the ribs. He ran his hand through his hair removing some of the glass._

"_I think our math was wrong." Kelly sighed. _

"_Don't tell Mac."_

"_I think he'll figure it out."_

"_Yeah, but no one has to tell him."_

_They laughed at the mess they had just created and got down on their knees to pick as much of the glass off as they could._

"Okay, so that's what happened between Danny and me this morning when we were finishing up that case." Kelly propped her feet up on the table. She loved the lab's New Year's party at one of the tech's place. All the best stories came out.

"That was you?"

"Oh crap, Mac. What're you doing here?"

"Good question. So that was you who planned the explosion on the roof?"

"Come on, who else would, Taylor? And it wasn't my math that went wrong. All Danny's math skills I might add." She put her feet down at the sudden approach of her boss.

"What did I miss?" He sat down at that table where a few lab techs lingered to hear a few stories from the CSI. Some were a bit exaggerated.

"Well, nothing. Almost got to the tale of our daring escape when we were held hostage. And of the bomb."

"Exaggerating much?"

"Nope, I just don't want some people to start up playing _Clue. _We solve murders for a living. Why must we play a game with murders?"

"Better than murderers playing games with us."

"I really don't get how you can be so sour. It's New Year's Eve. I guess that's sad. I mean if you don't drink the party's dull."

"Are you drinking?" He raised an eyebrow.

"No, I wouldn't dare. Plus, once Flack and Danny get here they'll start some contest, and I'll have to help them home. And you're not drinking because you're the head of the lab. I swear, Mac Taylor, you might be the most boring person ever. I mean you get sarcastic sometimes, which is hot don't get me wrong, but you are so serious. You're a great boss, but you have to know when not to be Mr. Boss-man. Well, I'm going to go over and get some food before you suck the life out of me. I'm _melting_." She winked and headed over to another table. She stopped and headed back after a thought, "But you might want to be boss now because that hot lab tech, well you won't find him hot, and if you do we should probably talk, but that lab tech is getting awfully close the Mrs. Boss-man." She then proceeded to walk off to where there were some burgers and fries.

"So what's up?" Danny asked her as she took a mouthful of food. "That's extremely attractive too."

She swallowed. "Trying to get Mac to actually loosen up. I'd kiss him, but I don't find him that attractive, plus if I did, I'd become too predictable. That and Stella's here so that'd be awkward."

"Not that you'd be kissing him?" He couldn't help but laugh.

"Yeah, there's that. But he never loosens up more than a sarcastic comment, and I've known him for what now?"

"Six or seven years. Wow, we're getting old." Danny thought a moment and took a large bite out of a hot dog. She looked over at him with a raised eyebrow.

"It's a good thing you're pretty." She patted his head. "I could always wear a hat."

"How is that going to do anything but make him mad?" He swallowed quickly so he could manage that sentence. "And don't go on about his looks. Your best bet is to put something in his drink."

"I'm not going to dose my boss, and even though he'd be really entertaining I don't think so. I've been dosed before in college. I missed my Chemistry final because my friends thought I should loosen up. Plus, I love my job."

"So where's Sheldon?"

"With Lindsay on a case. I guess Flack will come. He's like an honorary member of the lab." Kelly sighed and sipped her coke.

"That and he overheard the tech telling everyone about the party so he's coming."

"It's not a party without him." Kelly mocked. "Ugh, how long can it take to solve a case?"

"I don't know. So we going to have a game plan here."

"Nah, let's just enjoy the night. A good song is bound to come on."

"Well, may I have this dance then?" He asked her. "It's not like our spouses are around."

"Avoiding someone?"

"No, but are you?"

"No. Let's just dance?"

……………………………………………………

He stood next to her and sighed. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves. "Having fun?"

"Not really, Mac. This party's kind of dull. I'm almost hoping Danny'll try something so Kelly'll slap him. How sad is that?"

"Kind of sad. Was it this bad last year?"

"No, Danny had a little too much to drink, and it was entertaining."

"Is it because I'm the boss, and I'm here that everyone seems to be dragging around."

"No, I think it's that everyone's just bored. It's been a hard year."

"Hey, Stell, can I dance with ya?" Danny cut into the conversation.

Stella smiled at Mac then joined Danny out there.

"High school memories, eh?" Kelly grinned at Mac. "I see you haven't loosened up at all. You might as well be wearing a tie."

"Is there a certain reason that you want me to loosen up? Something you're trying to prevent?" He looked at her knowingly.

"No, I just think you need to loosen up. Undo a button on that pristine shirt of yours. Dance." They looked at each other. "With Stella. Not me. Definitely not with me. I mean we could it would just be awkward, and it would kind of seem like I'm trying something."

"You're making this awkward. Trust me after everything you've done to me, dancing with you would not be that awkward."

"But let's not because we'd never live it down and because let's just not."

"I'm not arguing that we should, Kelly."

"Good. How awkward is this? I mean here I am talking about this to my boss, my married boss." _My sexy married boss who I shouldn't be having these type of thoughts about._

"You now notice this?"

"I'm a bit slow sometimes, Mac." She winked and looked him up and down. "Because by now I should realize that I shouldn't tell you how good you look. Especially in black. Mmm yummy. In fact, if you would just unbutton that top button there." She wiggled her eyebrows. A hint of red found itself on his cheeks.

"Kelly, will you shut up if I ask you to dance?"

"Probably not."

"Okay, I did not see that coming."

"Really? Like seriously?"

"Do you like doing this to me? Embarrassing me?"

"I don't know. No one else seems to do it."

"Please, Kelly, please stop."

"Loosen up, and I'll think about it."

"Why does this matter to you so much?"

"Because I know who Work Mac is, but who is the Mac Taylor who isn't the boss? I mean, I'm sure you're an interesting person. Fascinating probably."

"What are you doing? I think that my personal life isn't any of your business." He then looked over at Danny dancing with Stella. "How long is this song?"

"We haven't been talking that long. If you're so bothered, then go interrupt the dance." She glared at him and muttered, "Killjoy." She tapped her fingers, annoyed. "Okay, Mac, this is a pretty long song so let's just dance because there's nothing else to do. Okay?"

"Okay?" His answer was long and a bit unsure.

"Like it means anything," she muttered. "See it's not so bad. You and me. Dancing. You're not bad at all."

"Mhmm," he nodded.

"You know, these parties used to be more fun. Especially the year we held it at Thirsty's." She looked around. "But this is almost fun. Some of the lab techs are moving over there. I mean maybe once Hawkes and Lindsay get here and maybe dance everyone might do stuff. Otherwise this party's a dropper. Could call Tony up and ask for a movie reference to get this going, but I think I know the movie."

"Do you ever stop talking?"

"Yes, I am kind of nervous, and you aren't helping." She grinned. "See don't you have any interesting stories? I mean, at parties that's always something I liked to hear. Funny stories."

"I would think you'd have better ones than me. Especially told from your point of view."

"Good point. Think of all the things I've said to you that you never heard. Mac, you're fun to mess with. You know that, right?"

"You tell me this every day. Yes, I have noticed."

"Yes, well, you seem to have fun messing with me too. Calling me at three in the morning for cases. You must either love working with me, which I know is a lie, or you just can't wait another hour. I mean I think you can handle a case so please let me sleep in for once."

"Maybe I just enjoy you as a person."

Kelly laughed. "See you're funny, Mac. But why are you so serious?"

"Kelly, life isn't all fun and games. People die. People we love die."

"And you think I don't know that!" Her mouth was open in pure shock. "I misjudged you, Taylor. Or you're just forgetful or just bad with words. Or you just like to mess with my mind like this. I don't know."

"You know I didn't mean that like that."

"Well, you treat me like I don't. You treat me as if I'm still that same person who you hired. Well, I'm not."

"Not completely."

………………………………………………

Danny laughed with Stella. "See, now I'll get five bucks from Flack. He said I wouldn't dance with you and also get them to dance together. Are they fighting?"

"Probably. Too predictable. Why'd you make a bet with Flack?"

"There's nothing better to do. Bets are the only thing keeping me from joining the lab rats in playing _Clue_. I'm with Kelly on this. Sometimes if I see if one more murder, I might kill someone."

"Don't kill anyone here. Wouldn't want to have to arrest you. Though the party might show some life then. How long is this song?"

"I really don't know. It might be on repeat."

………………………………………………………..

"If you could just shut up for one minute," he started, annoyed by her constant talking. Some of it was true.

"Okay."

"I haven't done anything to wrong you so why are you accusing me. I've lost people close to me too."

"I know, Mac."

"Shhh, Kelly. I'm talking here. Now, you have really been on my case tonight, and it's getting old. What is it that Agent Gibbs does to his team?"

"Head slaps them."

"Well, I don't believe in violence as a punishment, but you are about to make me change my mind."

"Well, he also kisses the lab tech on the cheek."

One look at her grin. "No, Kelly."

"Fine, fine. I wouldn't want that anyway, but I know several techs who would want that." She looked away then back at her boss. "I'm really bored. I am almost considering getting a drink."

"Don't."

"Well, if I got drunk and kissed you, it wouldn't be quite as funny as when I was sober and kissed you. But honestly, I want to wake up with a hangover. Anything beats this."

"Don't drink."

"Nah, wouldn't want to kill my liver now. I'm almost hoping for a scene. And thank you for this dance. Now, we'll just go back to standing over there. Tons of fun. Or we could keep dancing. That's fine too."

"We're talking."

"Only, we would dance to talk. I have a random question. And don't give me that look. But do you want a drink?"

"What?"

"A drink? Coke? Beer? Juice?"

"Not really."

"What am I going to do? Dose you? I suppose I could, but having told you it ruins the fun so it's probably safe for me to get you a drink. Plus, why would I put something in your drink? More like what? I mean there's a chance that I could get arsenic, but that's poisoning which isn't very fun. I mean I'd see you die, but that's something I'm trying to avoid here. And I don't want you to die. I kind of like you, Mac. You're cute, smart, and funny. Plus, I don't want to go to jail. That's something that I am also trying to avoid. And now we're back to the drinks which get me in trouble in the future anyway. So I think I can offer you one."

"That's okay, I'm not thirsty." _Especially after that explanation._

"Fine, but offer's still up, you know. Of course, that's just weird. I'm offering you a drink, and we're just coworkers. So you have plans after this?"

"What part of personal life don't you understand?

"The personal part obviously. I have boundary issues." She smiled cheekily. "But, fine, be private. Your glass walls are a misnomer. They should be solid steel because no one gets a glimpse at any of you. You hide from Stella?"

"Mind your own business."

"No. Loosen up and laugh for once. Make a joke at Flack's tie. It's fun. Trust me. Make a joke about how stupid I sound sometimes."

He grinned. "Only sometimes?"

"See there you go." She smiled and swayed to the music. "Come on, Mac, and move a little to the music."

"Not with you."

"Okay, well, there's a start. I think I'll go dance with Danny or get some food."

"Weren't you just eating?"

"Hey! Why don't you go ask Stella to dance and mind your own business?" She grinned at the hypocrisy of her words and left him for the food.

"Hey, you."

"Stell, want to dance?"

…………………………………………………

"You danced with Mac for a while." Danny broke the ice with that.

"Yeah, it was more fighting than anything." Kelly poured herself a drink.

"What is that?"

"Coke. Wish it was tequila, but Mac'll fire me if I come to work hung over again. That was pretty funny though."

"Yeah, that was. He was really mad."

"Yup, and where are our significant others?"

"Feeling guilty about something? Stalling before they can get here? You know I'm here for you if you need to say something." Danny winced when she elbowed him. "I think finishing up the case, but it could go long I suppose. Flack's on that case too?"

"Yeah, it's fantastic, eh? I'm so bored."

"What should we do?"

"Stage hypothetical murders? Board games? _Mad Gabs_? Video games? Pool?"

"Hypothetical murders sound fun."

"I was kidding. We're CSIs. I really am not in the mood for fake murders. Hey, do you think Sullivan's is still open right now?"

"At nine. Yeah."

"Then let's go."

"What about them?"

"We could call them." She started dialing Hawkes' number. But low and behold, Hawkes and Lindsay walked through the door. "Hey!"

"What's up?" He came up and kissed her cheek.

"Someone needs to call Sid because this party was dead on arrival."

"Heh, heh." Danny rolled his eyes. "Kells, you're losing your touch."

"Humph." She crossed her arms.

"Come on, it can't be that bad." Lindsay looked around. Only a few people were dancing to whatever song was playing. "See someone moved."

"Okay, so there really are only a couple of things to do in a situation like this. One is get drunk and party. Another is to go somewhere else. The third is dosing someone's drink." Kelly suggested.

"Who's drink?" Danny asked.

"We've been over this, and no one's drink. I'm just stating the options."

"Okay, okay."

"How 'bout we just try and enjoy ourselves?" Hawkes suggested. He received glares in reply. "Never mind."

"It's not that we don't want to have a good time, it's just that it's rather boring anyway." Kelly looked at her husband then at the table. "Anyone up for a game of I Never? Karaoke?"

"I Never."

"Okay, though I would want to hear Danny's rendition of _Hey Jude_."

"Get him drunk enough, and you'll get your wish." Lindsay laughed. Danny held a sour look on his face for a minute then dropped it.

"Okay, let's play with food. Every time you have done something you eat a fry. Then the person with fries left at the end wins. Everyone got it?"

"Should we wait for Flack?"

"I guess."

……………………………………………………….

"Mmm, I never kissed my boss." Flack really enjoyed doing this to Kelly. "When I'm sober."

"I don't even want to know what you did when you were drunk, there, lover boy." Kelly munched on the last of her fries. They had pretty much totally did I Nevers that related to her. "Isn't this fun? I think I'll go watch grass grow and paint dry."

"Aww, you just are funny and do a lot of funny things." Hawkes reassured her, smiling.

"Like kissing your boss. Not your smartest move, I might add." Flack had trouble not laughing.

"Thank you, but I had a good reason. I had to get out of the scene."

"Because?"

"Because I don't really think I can tell you." She was thinking quickly.

"Come on, it can't be huge. Just tell us." Flack pleaded.

"Okay, well, I figured out when I got to the scene that I had dated this guy. It's really not a big deal."

"So you kiss Mac instead of telling him this?"

"Yeah." _There's the flaw in that idea. Mac would understand that._ "And I also owed him money. A big chunk."

"You didn-" Hawkes was cut off by an elbow in the ribs. "Really, Kells? How much?"

"A lot." She gave him a knowing glance that said 'I'll tell you the real reason later'. "And maybe you guys should just trust me."

"Okay, okay, Kells. No need to get in a dither." Flack rolled his eyes.

"You know what guys? I think I'm going to head home."

"Come on, Kells, it's not even midnight yet."

"Well, I'm going to go. Curfew. My parents are so strict. Hawkes, you coming?"

"Yeah, I guess I will."

"See you two tomorrow." Flack nodded.

"Well, I have court anyway. But see you guys."

………………………………………………………

"So should I be worried about you kissing our boss? You're not going to make a habit of it are you?"

She chuckled. "No, I don't want to make a habit of it. But I think I should tell you why I did kiss him which I might add might have been the worse kiss ever. It was weird. Like kissing my brother." She took his hand as they walked home. It was New Year's Eve in New York City. No one who had any common sense would try to take a cab. Plus, it was a crisp, cold night and perfect for New Yorkers.

She spent about ten minutes explaining what happened before between them to which she received many 'that will never happen to us' in reply. She then explained what happened when she got back. "So it's sort of like déjà vu, but now I have no idea what's going to happen since I never shot Mac. It all changes. All of it which officially sucks because now I really don't know what would happen tomorrow, and if I completely mess something up again."

"I think you have it wrong." He sighed. "We're not meant to know what happens every day, but to live without regrets. If you know what happens, you don't get a chance to make mistakes. And no one's perfect. Especially you." He put his arm around her, guiding her on their way home.

**A/N: Hope you liked that. Wasn't really about anything. Just fun. Hope it was funny. Please review! And thanks to lily moonlight and CSIMiami17 for reviewing! You guys rock! Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Disclaimer: Don't own either of them.**

**Notes: Got this idea watching House, but this is an **_**NCIS**_** crossover (I was watching a marathon as I wrote this).Well, when I originally wrote this. Like always, enjoy.**

**Monopoly **

"Mac! Mac! You in here?!" Kelly knocked on the wall of the garage. The presumed killer's car was parked where they normally processed the cars. "You better be here. I was in the middle of a REM cycle." She knelt by the side of the car and looked under. "So what'd you find, Mac."

"Nothing."

"Now, I don't know a lot about cars, well, I'd like to, but I don't. Anyway, I'm pretty sure that there are _some_ things in a car."

"Cute, Kelly, but besides the obvious car parts, there's nothing."

"Is there any possibility the car was cleaned?"

"No signs of it." He shone the ALS light throughout the cavities of the car.

"Detective Taylor." Another voice was heard. A familiar _commanding_ voice.

"It wasn't me, Mac. I swear."

"Kelly, I'm pretty sure this has nothing to do with you."

"Yeah, well you can never be too sure," Kelly turned towards the two men who were standing impatiently in the doorway.

"Agent Gibbs," Mac greeted him. Kelly turned around and let out a groan. Tony.

"Detective Higgins," Tony looked at her with a little bit of disdain.

"Tony."

"Play nicely, you two," he immediately regretted that choice of words.

"Well, if I must, but I won't say anything about him," she grinned quickly but then frowned. "Hold on, give me a few minutes. I can come up with something better than that." She received a few eye rolls in return.

Mac went on, "So how does this work? We almost have the case closed."

"Do you have any suspects?"

"Not anymore, but we're working on it," he sounded extremely annoyed like a teenage getting patronized by a parent.

"Well, Mac, I'm going to check the inside of the car. Maybe we can find out who this car actually belongs to."

……………………………………………………

"What're you doing here?" Kelly wiped the sweat off her brow as she took the car apart. By herself. Tony was perfectly capable of helping, but he chose to get something to eat.

"Eating. What does it look like?"

"You know we do have a break room."

"Yes, but then my boss would take my food saying I haven't earned lunch yet." Tony happened to be talking with his mouth full. Kelly cringed.

"Didn't your mom ever tell you to never talk with food in your mouth?"

"Probably."

Kelly rolled her eyes and got back to taking the back seat out. "You know, DiNozzo, you could help!"

"Nah, I'm too pretty, Probie."

"You can't call me that, Tony, on account that I don't work for you. And I could kill you without leaving any evidence." She grinned slyly.

"Funny, Abby always says that." He mumbled. "So found anything?"

"A new hate for NCIS, you, and this car."

"Aww, Higgie, you tired?"

"No, I don't get tired. Not anymore."

"You sound like Gibbs."

"No, I just know that if I get tired a call from my boss is coming, and he'll have a lead."

"You need to take the battery out of the phone."

"I know."

"So what's it like here? In New York?"

"It's the best. I have the best job, the best boss, the best husband. I love it here."

"Honestly? You love waking up early? Getting treated like a rookie?"

"Yeah, it's kind of nice. Low expectations are in my favor. And, well, Mac makes sure I know that I have really no rank among anyone. I'm a detective, but nothing more. And if I'd keep my mouth shut for once, I would have some help doing this."

"Maybe not. It's possible your boss secretly hates you."

"It's not so much of a secret," Kelly couldn't help but chuckle for a moment. Tony scowled. She let out a large huff after she pulled the back seat out of the car. "Well, actually I don't know. It's a lot of fighting. I think." She watched as he walked a bit closer to the car to see if she'd find anything.

"You know what they say about fights, right?"

"Humor me, Tony," she told him as if she hadn't heard that line about a thousand times.

"They say they are some of the most intimate parts of relationships." He showed her that famous grin of his. Kelly got up quickly.

"So this little fight we're about to have is pretty intimate, eh?" She elbowed him in the ribs as she passed him. "Danny and Flack have been trying that one for years so nothing that you say is new. I have a comeback for it all."

He rolled his eyes. "Where're you going?"

"Call my boss. I think there's something big on this paper. I found blood on it."

"How do you know that it's blood?"

"Because I am a CSI. Because I have spent the better part of my life devoted to science. Because I'm smarter than you. Because I'm better looking than you. Because I know!"

"Okay, the better looking part is not true." Smack! Tony winced as he got the famous head slap. He turned to Kelly. "What was that for?"

"That wasn't me."

"Boss." Tony turned around quickly to see Leroy Jethro Gibbs standing right behind him.

"What have you two been doing?"

"Well, I think there's something big on this paper that I found. All by myself," Tony told his boss. Kelly rolled her eyes and photographed the sheet of paper.

"Really, Tony? So you lifted all of the seats out of the car and found the paper without breaking a sweat?" Kelly glared.

"Yes, yes, I did." Tony looked triumphant.

"Good work, Detective." Gibbs turned to her.

"Well, thank you. It's good to be appreciated. And I think that if we take a trace sample of the dirt on here, we can get a location." She smiled sweetly at Gibbs. She then slipped the paper into an evidence bag while mumbling things about not being appreciated by the team.

"I want to know as soon as you get something." Gibbs left without another word.

"The only reason he's being nice to you is because he probably talked to your boss and probably knows that if you said something to Detective Taylor, Gibbs would not be welcome in this investigation."

"No, it's quite possible that he's a good person and is nice." Kelly hid a smile as Tony made a face.

"The only way that Gibbs and nice are in the same sentence is if the word isn't is between them."

"That bad?"

"No, I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Okay, well, let's get this paper up to trace. Adam can tell us something about it."

…………………………………………………………

"How can you not have seen _The Peacemaker_?"

"I just haven't seen all of it. I saw a little of it. How can you still be going on about this?"

"I just can't believe it. That's all. Hey, if you have a DVD player, I could rent it."

"I don't think my husband's going to like that."

"What won't I like?" Kelly jumped up.

"Whoa, Shel, you freaked me out there. Please don't sneak up on me like that again." She regained her composure. "But he wants me to watch _The Peacemaker_. And I have a case."

"Speaking of which. You two, case." Gibbs with his stalking moves as Kelly had put it had snuck on the two of them. "Status report."

"We don't have anything." Kelly braved that answer.

"You mean after a week and a half on this case you have not figured out anything."

"I feel a head slap coming on," Tony smiled like a child as he hoped she would get that infamous slap.

"Agent Gibbs, I am telling you that the usual financial records have not helped us in the search for our murderer. We found the body only two days ago. Our ME could not find the toxin that stopped his breathing. Our lab can't find it either. I have gotten about twenty hours of sleep in the last week, maybe. I got a call early this morning from my boss saying that we found the car. I get cranky when I'm tired. Also I have not eaten since I don't know when. So when you accuse me of not working, maybe you should know why." She was pushing it. She didn't care. She was too tired to care. Everyone stood kind of in shock of her clearly stepping way out of her power zone. Then she got the aptly named Gibbs' glare. She took a step back, a little bit scared. "Not that you're accusing me 'cause I don't think you are. In fact, I'm going to go work on the… errr… case."

"Now, hold on before something gets started, let's just cool our jets, here." _And by our I mean Kelly. _Hawkes stepped in as mediator. "Kelly, I think you should go home. Get some sleep. Mac'll understand."

"Thaaanks," She yawned, drawing out that singular word. "See you guys. I guess I'll take my office in case of emergency." She left the room.

"I'm Doctor Hawkes. Kelly's husband just FYI. And I apologize in advance for her behavior." His cell phone vibrated. "Well, that's our ME. It's a different case."

……………………………………………………………………..

"Sid, what did you find?"

"No formalities? You were much more kind when you worked here."

"Sometimes I miss this. But anyway, you found the cause of death?"

"I actually called you down here for something different. That NCIS case. I just want to make sure I didn't get this wrong. Does this look like arsenic to you?" Sid moved over to the victim on Mac's case.

"Yeah, but it looks like he was also shot twice. Somebody really must have wanted this sailor dead," Hawkes sighed. This always seemed to mean more work for the CSIs especially with the NCIS agents breathing down their necks.

…………………………………………………………………………

"So I talked to the judge. He didn't give us the warrant to get that file, and the deadline's tomorrow. Looks like we're out of luck."

"No."

"Boss, what're we doing?" Tony turned around to see that Gibbs had gone. _I'll think of something._

……………………………………………………………………….

Mac looked at the blood stained piece of paper then back at the tech. "Let _me_ know if you find anything." There was something about the NCIS guys that just bothered him. They were keeping something about this case away from him.

……………………………………………….

"What're we going to do?" Tony asked his boss.

"We need that file."

"Okay, but that's a two man job." He received a piercing look from Gibbs. "I'll find someone."

"Sign this." Gibbs put a piece of paper down on the desk similar to one he handed McGee when he had hacked into the CIA.

"Okay, so is this like a liability clause?"

He was greeted with yet another piercing look from his boss. His questions stopped quickly.

………………………………………………

Adam stood nervously in front of the three men. The NCIS agents did not look anxious whatsoever which worried the tech. They looked as if they knew what was coming but were only playing along for technicality reasons.

"I treated this with… errr… you don't really care about the details, but I… umm… found this address on here, and, well, I sent the blood to DNA, but I haven't gotten anything back.

"Good work, Adam. But why was this piece of paper in the car?"

"I'm sorry, Boss, I don't know."

"He knew we were onto him." Tony mouthed to Gibbs. "We need to get to that office building."

"I'm sorry, but are we interrupting or should I say stalling your investigation because if I remember correctly, you asked for my lab's help!" Mac's glare pierced into them. Searched them for answers, finding more questions and no answers. "I asked you before if you knew anything so I'll ask again. What do you know?"

"Nothing more than you know." Gibbs spoke up, quite the surprise for Adam who had thought that the senior agent did not talk. At all.

…………………………………………………..

Kelly had put a report in front of her as a disguise so if someone of higher rank came in, it would look like she had been working and just fell asleep. But on closer look she had her headphones in and was listening to classical music. It put and kept her asleep on the desk which was one of the worst places to sleep. So it was no surprise that when Tony came in, turned off her iPod, and gently shook her, she woke up with a start.

"I need your help."

"With what?" She yawned and closed her eyes again. He slammed a piece of paper identical to the one he signed on the desk in front of her.

"Sign this." He handed her a pen.

"No, I don't know what this is." Even in her drowsiness, she had some concept of sanity when answering him. "What the heck is it?"

"You've played _Monopoly_, right? Well, think of this as a _Get out of Jail Free_ card."

**A/N: Hoped you like that little cliffie. This has turned into a three part thing. Maybe four. Hope you liked this one. Please review! I'd like to thank Lily and Blue and lily moonlight for reviewing ;) Have a fantastic day! XD**


	6. Chapter 6

**Disclaimer: I don't own them. Wish I did.**

**Notes: Well, I hope you enjoyed that little cliffie. Like always, enjoy. **

**Thanks to luf100 for reading. You rock! And Mac is so much sexier XD**

**The Peacemaker**

"What am I going to be doing that would get me into jail?"

"I need you to help me dig up a file."

"How 'bout over my dead body? Can you dig that up? I'll lose my job. Probably my marriage. And I'll probably still end up in jail regardless of this piece of paper which I won't sign!" She was suddenly wide awake and fuming.

"No, I promise that you'll keep your job, and you won't go to jail. It's just stealing a file that's rightfully the US government's."

"Still, it's just wrong. Ethically and morally wrong. And I'm not going to do this. Get someone else to!"

"I trust you!"

"So you trust me enough to get me fired. You're a great friend," she rolled her eyes.

"This guy killed seven sailors. Seven! That's seven people."

"People die every day, and we can't save them all, but I put their killers beyond bars."

"So do I."

"I won't do it," she walked, no, stormed out of the shared offices. He sighed and followed her out, walking quickly to catch up with her.

…………………………………………………

Tony sat down in the break room next to her to watch her eat, well, to try and steal some food from her. She had gone to Ray's about half an hour ago and picked it up. "You know, Higgie, I don't think you've earned lunch yet." He pushed the box towards himself and took the piece she was about to take a bite from.

"No, that's not how this works. Do you think I'm so easy that I'll just fold because you stole my food?" She was enraged by him and her lack of food at the moment so she stood up.

"I think you're easy," he didn't mean it as an insult, but he didn't exactly think this one through. She dragged him up to her level. "To persuade. I meant to persuade!" She did not look like she believed him.

"Oh, and insulting me is the way to go! If you ever insult me or even think of insulting me like that again, I will make sure you never get a chance to find that out about another woman. Do I make myself clear?" She stole her pizza back.

"Crystal," he gulped.

"Good, now this pizza's for the team. Today's my day to get food because, well, it's too long a story to tell. You can look in the fridge for something that does not have a name on it."

…………………………………………………

"You know, Higgie, I'm committed."

"You finally settling down?" She hoped he was not going to even try to convince her.

"Only with you," he made a purring sound.

"Are you _hitting_ on me? And if you are only to get me to do whatever it is that you want me to do, then I have an answer."

"What?"

"Hell no!" This time he grabbed her arm and kept her in the room.

"Just hear me out," he paused for a minute. "Please."

"No," she turned to walk out, but he kept his grip on her arm. "I will punch you if you don't let go." He let her arm go, but gave her a glare.

"You make a lot of people angry, ya know?"

"Is this supposed to be news to me?"

He rolled his eyes. "One call from me and you are out of a job."

"Is this supposed to be a turn on? You think I'm just going to say yes because you're so sexy and funny, and you're Tony DiNozzo?" she glared at him for even thinking about that.

"Well, it would make this easier," he raised his eyebrows. "All you have to do is listen."

"Fine."

…………………………………………………

Hawkes walked into the locker room, looking to change shirts. Well, he was changing shirts. "Hey, you. What's up? Coffee get you too?"

"I'm wondering why the locker room is coed, and I need some advice."

"Well, I'm here to help."

"I've got a problem. A big problem."

He frowned. "Whatever Tony's asking you to do, just don't do it."

"How'd you-"

"Know? Kelly, I'm a CSI and your husband. I know when something's bothering you, and I know when someone asks you to do something. Plus we all know what happened in that break room. Just whatever it is, it's not good. And I'm not going to be a part of it." It wasn't that he was blowing her off. He just knew it wouldn't end well, and if she was going to do whatever that was, his arguing would not help change her mind.

"I don't have a choice. I either do what he says and get fired or just get fired."

"I think you know what you should do," he told her gently.

"Right, thanks, Hawkes. I'll tell him I will because I might as well be doing something to be fired."

"Wait, just think about what will happen if you say yes. Please."

"Okay."

………………………………………………….

_Oh, she wanted to help them. It had been a while since anyone had asked her to think like that. When she first worked at the lab, she was asked to think how she always did. But it was that thinking that caused her and Mac not to see eye to eye. So deep down she wanted this. "First step's to scope out the place."_

_A voice came over the video chat and a figure appeared, "Already done. Best bet's to go tonight."_

"_That gives us about six hours. Not enough time," she immediately protested. _

"_That's what she said," Tony chided. Kelly head slapped him. "Right, I'm focusing, Higgie."_

"_It's the time you have," Gibbs walked in._

"_I don't get why you guys are dragging me in. What about Ziva and Timmy?"_

"_Can't get off a different case," a heavily accented voice that Kelly immediately knew to be Ziva's came into the picture. _

"_Okay, campfire!" Tony announced. McGee and Ziva automatically groaned. Kelly rolled her eyes._

"_How 'bout we just figure out a plan. So my boss has his day off tomorrow so if we can get him to take it…"_

…………………………………………………

"_So you're using your day off tomorrow right?" Kelly came from out of the blue._

"_Where'd you go to?" He turned around, mildly surprised._

"_I was tired. Must've dozed off at my desk."_

"_Tired? From what?"_

"_Running through your mind all day." She gave him a cheesy wink, just for effect. "Oh, come on, Mac, you have to admit that you set me up for that one. It's funny."_

"_Why do you want to know if I'm taking my day off?"_

"_So I can come and tell you that I'm madly in love with you," she paused before she wrapped that line up. "Surprise!"_

"_Please stop."_

"_Oh, no way, Mac, I'm having way too much fun," she stopped for a moment then smiled. "That's what she said."_

"_I'd expect that from Danny and Flack but not you, Kelly." _

"_So, uh, are you going to be taking your day off, Mac?"_

"_Why do you want to know?" He raised his eyebrow._

_She got up real close to him (close enough to make him take a step back away from her) and gave him that same look she gave him before she kissed him that second time. It was kind of a twinkle in her eyes. "Well, who knows what can happen when," she looked him up and down, "two _attractive _CSIs work together on a case, alone, if you catch my drift." Putting her hand on his arm and rubbing it, she winked at him._

_Taking her hand off his arm (extremely quickly too), he turned to leave the room, "Yes, Kells, I am taking my day off tomorrow." And without another word, he left the room. She mouthed a 'call me' to him once he glanced at her. _Wow, I'm good.

…………………………………………_.._

_He put his hands on his hips and let the sea breeze run through his hair. His partner took her hair out and swung her hair back and forth in the wind. They stood there for a couple of seconds until she said, "So let's get serious."_

"_All right. You know the plan."_

"_This doesn't feel right. What if someone catches us?" Kelly put her hair up in a pony tail and gloved her hands. This was going to be treated something like a crime scene. Only, they were committing the crime._

"_Stop worrying. Gibbs wouldn't do this if we wouldn't get away with it. Now, we have to worry about him," Tony pointed quickly at a guy standing outside the dock's main building then they went behind the corner. "We could always go in through the fire escape, and you can give Spider Man a kiss."_

"_I'm sorry, but there's only one story so no fire escape for you to hang down on and you don't have a mask to pull down."_

"_Are you saying that you would kiss me if I dressed like him?"_

_She rolled her eyes. "No, let's just focus on that guy. Now, I have chloroform so that's how we'll get rid of him. Well, I'm not going to kill him. Just knock him out." She shuddered. This was not going to be fun. _

_Tony watched with amusement as she walked over to the man who held a cigarette in his hand and obviously held a gun at his side. She was out of her league in this. But whatever his worries were, they stopped when she carefully lowered the unconscious man to the ground. She signaled him over. He jogged to her as she found some zip ties in her 'magic bag of stuff' to quote himself actually. _

"_So you convinced me to help, but I need some too. Here, get his ankles. I'll get his wrists," she handed him the zip tie, and when the job was done, he dragged the limp body into the shadow of the building._

"_So what'd he say about your gloves," Tony grinned._

"_Apparently his boss likes them. I played the whore card," she snapped the latex and wiggled her eyebrows. He looked a little shocked. "Sorry, I mean prostitute. Didn't know that I'd hurt your virgin ears."_

_Tony let out a snort. "You're funny."_

"_I know that I'm funny, Tony. What I don't know is when you were planning on telling me that Martin Benevato was who we were stealing from."_

_Tony let one of his eyebrows raise, "Who?" _

_She rolled her eyes and entered the building, "The guy who owns this building is a known affiliate of the mob or mafia if that's what you call it."_

"_I had no idea," he grinned widely. She elbowed him in the gut. _

_He took out a flashlight and scanned the room. She made her way down the hallway, using her own flashlight. Nothing so far. No one. Basically, Tony believed that the file was here which is what she was doing there. She honestly knew that she'd be taking the fall for this. That could be the only reason they would bring in a local LEO or Law Enforcement Officer. Or because he thought something would happen between them. Kelly knew he was a pig, but she also thought he had a sense of respect of the fact that she was married. But these thoughts were not relevant because she was in this for the long run now. _

"_DiNozzo, I think I found where it'll be," she looked at a room labeled 'Benevato'. "It's always in the boss' office."_

"_Is that what you tell Taylor?" he raised his eyebrows again. She felt the urge to slap him. Hard._

"_Only when he asks for it," she wiggled her eyebrows then rolled her eyes. "Do you have a set of lock picking tools?" She tried the handle. Locked. "They never make it easy."_

_He quickly came over and did a few neat tricks that she could not see. The door creaked open. "Gibbs." He explained to her after seeing her questioning look. "He taught me how to do a lot of things."_

"_I'm sure he did," she snorted with laughter. _

"_Taylor didn't teach you anything?"_

"_He taught me how to hotwire a car," she walked in, scanning around the room. "I guess we're not going to turn on the light." She flipped through books and newspapers that were scattered around the small office. "I just realized something."_

"_What?"_

"_If that guy actually thought I was doing things to the boss then the boss has to be here," she then let several curse words fly from her mouth. "How did you ever convince me to do this?"_

"_Because you love your job more than life itself. Found it!" He threw up a punch of victory. "Also, you think I'm sexy and funny." He wiggled his eyebrows. She elbowed him in the gut. "Playing hard to get, Higgie? I like that."_

"_Oh, trust me; you won't get anything from me. Ever." _

_He grinned, and she could not deny it. He was sexy and hot, but he was so annoying. He reminded her of herself except she at least had settled down, and the people she worked with actually liked her. Well, she knew Hawkes did at the very least and Danny. She was not sure about Mac. She did, however, know that after this, she would not have a job and only Hawkes would be there for her. _

"_Well, I got the file so we can get out of here," he took a hold of her arm and started 'dragging' her away. _

"_Wait, Tony, is that-" she worried about a flashing device that lay before her. Too many bad memories lay with flashing devices. "Please be an alarm clock."_

"_I don't think it is," he picked it up, exposing several colorful wires. She narrowed her eyes at something past the timer. C4. And at least twenty pounds by the looks of it. _

_She started dragging him away. "Tony, we gotta get out of here." He turned towards her and seemed to snap out of the trance encompassing him. _

"_Wait," he stopped, and she skidded to a halt. "Why would they set explosives if the file was there?"_

"_They've probably made copies."_

"_But they would've had to have codes."_

"_Which you told me they had. Come on, Tony."_

"_I have to go back. This file's a fake," he put it on the ground._

"_Tony, no! We have to get out of here. It's obviously a trap," she dragged him back. He shrugged her off. And stepped forward._

_Kelly in an instant tackled him. As soon as she hit him, a loud bang rang through the rigid office air and consumed the open space._

**A/N: -plays **_**24**_** theme- So yeah, exciting. One more part. Should be longer. If you thought this was jumpy, it's because it's a hypothetical situation and well, she doesn't know all the case details. Also, just because she's thinking through it doesn't mean she'll choose not to help. Please review. Have a great day XD**


	7. Chapter 7

**Disclaimer: Don't own either. Just wanting to play with them –shifty-**

**Notes: Umm I had to get this done so I can finally move on from it. It's unbelievable that I started this three chapter arch idea around Christmas. No joke. It's sort of short. Well, enjoy.**

**Easier to Lie**

_There was no sound. The blast had taken care of that. She did not dare open her eyes and see the reality of the situation. But then, she was not completely sure that she could even move. The phrase 'I'm going to be sore in the morning' came into her mind several times as she refused to move. Actually, she was slightly worried that she may have broken something. Well, she thought that until she felt something on her lips that definitely was not blood. Tony. Everything came back into focus, and she hit him._

"_Oww what was that for? I was giving you mouth to mouth!" _

_She opened her eyes only to change them into slits, "You gave me CPR when my heart was still beating?"_

"_No, I actually meant mouth to mouth."_

"_You kissed me?!" she sat up and hit him again. _

"_Ouch!"_

_She groaned as she leaned back on her elbows. "I am getting way more action when I'm married then when I was single." She sat up a bit more, grunting. Looking around, she saw what was left of the building. It gave her a new appreciation on life. They really should not have survived that, but they did miraculously. But deep down, she knew that that night was far from being over. _

"_I think we should get out of here," he got up, and she took her first good look at him. His face, once practically flawless, now exhibited several contusions and a few cuts. He held out a hand for her to get up, and she took it, noticing a warm substance on it that she was sure hadn't come from her. _

"_You're bleeding," she felt bad as if somehow this was her fault. _

"_Thank you for stating the obvious," he helped her up, and she groaned again. She hopped on her right foot, not putting any pressure on her left foot._

"_Ugh, I think it's broken."_

"_Jeez, Higgie, way to go," he teased._

"_Sorry, next time I'll try not to break my foot," she leaned on him. He made a grunting sound but let her use him as a crutch as the sirens came closer. In their desperate attempt to get out, they failed to notice that the 'guard' they had knocked out and bound was gone, and in his place were cut zip ties._

………………………………………………_.._

_Their red and blue lights gave them away. They moved as one, scavenging the wreck that once was a prominent shipping center. _

"_Oi! Over here!" a young officer pointed to two people trying to hide from them. Several rushed over. The pair was in no condition to run, especially with about five loaded guns pointed at them. _

………………………………………………_.._

"_Get against the wall!" an officer pushed her up against the wall. Police brutality. Not a bright side for this officer. Now, it was strange for her to be on this side of a frisking. It was even stranger that she had probably worked with this officer at some point. She watched Tony getting frisked and hid a smile at his discomfort. _

"_Man, first time getting frisked, well, second, no, third time getting frisked, and I don't get the cop of my choice to do it."_

"_And who would that be?" the officer slapped a cuff on one of her hand, which she struggled against. _

"_Detective Tay-" she was interrupted by a gun shot. The arresting officer let go of her wrist and grabbed for his weapon. Two more shots and the officer was hit. Tony had managed to escape the grasp of his arresting officer. He started pulling her towards him, and she struggled against the urge to cuss him out for making her walk when he knew her leg was injured._

"_Come on," his voice was lost over the sound of gun fire. She paused like a deer in the head lights. Incredibly frustrated with her, he just picked her up (against her will) and carried her away from the gunfire._

_When he finally let her down, she glared. "Don't ever do that again." _

"_Come on, we gotta get outta here!" He half dragged her away again._

"_I hate you."_

"_Like you hate your boss?" he stopped._

"_Is now really the time?" she ignored her leg and walked quickly away as one of the cops realized that their suspects were running. The gunfire got closer. They were trapped. Tony grinned. He had an idea._

………………………………………………_.._

_He watched her splint her ankle with a wrap. "I'm sorry. It was for nothing anyway."_

"_Yeah, you should be sorry," she glared as she put her shoe back on. "Mac'll have noticed. I'll be fired. You know, I hate to say it, but I told you so."_

"_I dunno. He wasn't here today."_

"_He's Mac. He has like this Spidey Sense that tells him when one of his employees is doing something stupid," Kelly sighed._

_Tony grinned. "Then why'd he ever hire you?"_

_She glared. It was going to be a long few days. _

…………………………………………………

_Mac had enjoyed his day off. For once, he was not worried about the lab. It was in capable hands (Stella was in charge). He also had just helped out around their apartment. It was quite to his surprise to see this file on his desk. Reading through it, he put all the pieces together. Kelly acting weirder than normal plus with that limp she had today, he knew she was behind this. He was also willing to bet that if he tested the blood from the scene, it would be a match to her DNA._

………………………………………………_.._

"_I need to talk to you!"_

_Kelly grinned. And without missing a beat (and she really had missed doing this to him) she clenched her teeth and muttered, "I thought we agreed never at work."_

"_I want to know about this." A case file was slammed against the table._

_Still on a roll, she blurted out, "I just want to make sure that whatever did or didn't happen between us isn't a factor in whatever '_this_' is."_

"_So what'd you use?" His face was anything but kind. She knew it was the end of the road. _

"_Chloroform. Very personal. Kind of nefarious. Almost a little," she stopped for a moment, winked, and clicked her tongue, "sexy. A bit foxy, eh? You can think that, ya know? Don't deny it." His glare did not lessen. She knew she should just back off, but if this was her last few minutes at the lab, she would enjoy every moment of them. "Me? Well, I'd say I wasn't there, but you might call me out on my bluff. Come on, Mac, seriously! Me? I couldn't have masterminded that in the time frame allowed. I'm not smart enough at all."_

"_I'm not going to play into this game of yours." _

"_Yeah, you're right. I am smart enough," she grinned because she got that famous 'don't flatter yourself' look from him._

"_I should arrest you. Breaking and entering." _

"_Bondage, rawr," Kelly grinned. "Mac, I didn't know you were into that kind of thing. Even though I am married, I'd make an exception for _you_. So should we go to dinner first or straight to your place?" _

"_I was being serious."_

"_So was I," she winked at him._

_He gave her an extremely familiar glare (one that she had received on many, many occasions). "Kelly…"_

"_You can't arrest me though. Even if you had the proof, which I'm pretty sure you don't have, you just can't. Say I had gone and broken in and stolen that file, well, I had a good reason. It contained details relevant to national security!"_

"_I don't give a da- I just don't care, Kelly! You always go with the evidence first! Always! You don't go and illegally retrieve anything even if it has to do with this nation's security! And you don't go behind my back either. Don't you ever think of the consequences? The cases that you've worked that are going to be overturned because of what you did. Do you know how many people will go free because of you?" He was on the verge of yelling at her, but he had a feeling that it would do no good. "Your badge."_

"_Yeah, I figured," she hesitantly handed him her badge, wishing she had never let Tony convince her of this._

………………………………………....

Hawkes sat in the locker room, his arm around his wife. "You okay?" he kissed her forehead.

"Uhhh, yeah," she frowned. "But thank you. There is no way in hell that I'd do what Tony asked."

"You're welcome?"

"Yeah, I just got confused. I lost sight of what really matters. I'm going to go tell Tony to go to hell," she grinned.

He finished buttoning his shirt and grinned. "I'm going to let that one be."

"All right," she kissed him and left the room.

…………………………………………….

"Awww, Higgie," Tony turned around to face her, smiling. She rolled her eyes. "So what do you think?"

"Yeah, you can go to hell. I'm not going to help you."

He frowned but then grinned, and she had to admit that he was very attractive. "I think you're going to. I thought we had a deal. You'd help me, and I'd keep your job."

"Ha! I don't think so, Tony DiNozzo. You think you can just waltz in here and manhandle me until I give in? You think I'll agree because you are so good looking."

He wiggled his eyebrows and then said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, "Yeah."

She scoffed. "I think you seriously underestimate how good looking my coworkers are. I don't agree just because someone's good looking. Anyway, Tony, you are not that hot even if you think you are."

"I thought you loved your job."

"I do love my job, and I also think that my boss would defend my job," she glared.

"Well, why not help me?"

"I love my coworkers and my husband," she thought for another minute or so before she answered. "Because all we have is each other and if I betray those closest to me, it makes me just as bad if not worse than the people I put away."

He sighed. "Fine, but you should know that I wanted your help. You can stay here where you aren't appreciated, and where you spend every day doing the same boring things. You could've played with the big boys."

"Trust me, I'm fine here. I don't want to be any more important than I am. I don't want any promotion or anything. I'd be fine if nothing exciting ever happened to me again. I just want to live a happy life with my husband, and you are not in that picture."

He walked out, but she got this vague feeling that it would not be the last she would see of him or the NCIS team.

**A/N: Short, but it's done XD Please review, I'd love to know what you think. I hope I didn't make Kelly seem too high and mighty because trust me she isn't. Again please review. Have a great day! XD**


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